Camden County approves $99,900 purchase order for clean fill dirt for new Public Works site; commissioners push for bidding transparency and quality controls

Camden County commissioners approved a purchase order of up to $99,900 to Cow Pond Farm, Inc. for delivery of clean fill dirt to raise and grade the new Public Works facility site, but the decision prompted questions about procurement, inspection and estimated savings.

Public Works presentation and rationale

Public Works staff said the vendor had three one‑acre borrow pits near the project site and could deliver a local supply of buildable, clean fill at about $100 per truckload — well below typical market examples staff cited of $350–$400 per load. The county plans to use in‑house crews to place the material and reduce subcontractor costs for grading and site prep. Funding for the purchase order is available from the SPLOST 8 building and improvement capital budget, staff said.

Why commissioners debated the approval

Commissioners and one resident questioned whether the county should have solicited competitive bids before approving the larger PO. Public commenter Rick Manning said he generally opposes not issuing local bids, though he acknowledged the staff presented circumstances that made the one‑time opportunity time‑sensitive. Public Works staff said they initially opened a smaller PO for testing loads and, after satisfaction with material quality, enlarged the PO to $99,900 to capture the opportunity before the vendor sold to other buyers.

Quality controls and next steps

Staff said crews halted deliveries when a small number of loads proved unsuitable and the vendor compensated the county for those loads; staff also said they will re‑survey the site in the coming week to confirm final grading quantities before the project goes out to building bids. The county’s project engineer will provide staking and grading tolerances so future contractors will bid to a known final‑grade condition.

The motion to approve the PO passed after discussion; commissioners asked staff to document insurance, permitting and material‑acceptance checks for the vendor.

Speakers quoted in this article are limited to Public Works staff (identified in the meeting as Jared) and public commenter Rick Manning.